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Tag Archives: Gematria

“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six-hundred and sixty-six” (Revelation 13:18, New American Standard Bible).

Some Bible translations convert the written expression of the beast’s number to three sixes (666). However, the original Greek text (as seen in the above NASB translation) spells out the number—a matter of utmost significance if the reader is to “calculate” the meaning of the number. Which is tantamount to solving the identity of the beast … Antichrist.

Only one other passage in the New Testament besides the one just quoted actually presses the reader to comprehend the clues; it, too, concerns the origin and identity of Antichrist. As follows:

“This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings. Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief” (Revelation 17:9-10, italics for emphasis).

Earlier in Revelation 17:7, the angel says to John: “…I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits.”

Disclosure of this mystery was for the express purpose of identifying the man (in the image of a beast) by understanding that he was one of seven Roman Emperors, five of whom had already died—including the beast himself—in the 1st century when Revelation was written first and foremost to the believers alive then. Because Christ could have returned any day in the first century or thereafter, the beast must also be ready to reappear … from the Abyss where he had been confined after his death and revival.

Complete confirmation concerning the Antichrist’s identity is possible only when we correlate Revelation 13 & 17 with other pivotal passages on the Antichrist as found in Daniel 7, 9, and 11. Also, II Thessalonians 2 and a more obscure passage in Zachariah 11. Then combining all of these remarkable disclosures of the Antichrist (also described as a king, ruler, little horn, beast, and man of lawlessness) with 1st century Church and secular history.

That is precisely what was done in Parts II & III of my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved? Followed by more elaboration found in several Eye of Prophecy articles under the category of Antichrist. Ending with what I firmly believe is an accurate identification of the beast—who had already lived and died, but would return from the Abyss during the Tribulation—as the Roman Emperor Nero.

(*Note: I do not by any stretch of the imagination support the Preterists’ view, which also identifies Nero as the Antichrist. But they do so with the absurd supposition that the Tribulation occurred in the 1st century, which has been correctly and convincingly refuted by many Bible scholars, including me. And yet most of these scholars have made the same (one) mistake as the Preterists. They missed the astounding reality stated clearly by John in Revelation; that the man—the Antichrist beast—had already lived and died. A clear textual fact that I also had overlooked for many years, until November, 2008).

“Why are you so amazed, the angel asked … The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit … And the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:7-8).

Hebrew Gematria

Although this week’s article began and will continue briefly with a review of the number of the anti-Messiah beast, the main emphasis will be on another number—the number of the true Messiah.

Both numbers are found in and understood by Hebrew Gematria. Which is the way that Jews in Bible times (actually up to the point when the Roman decimal system became the dominant numerical standard) counted and performed mathematical calculations. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is assigned a number from one to ten or in multiples of tens or hundreds. Many Jews today are familiar with and sometimes use gematria to compare Hebrew words, names, phrases, and places to the significance of their numerical value.

As you may (or may not) know, the New Testament was written in Greek. That was done through God’s providential direction; Greek was the universal language in the 1st century, much like English was/is in the 20th & 21st centuries. However, Jesus and all Jews spoke primarily Aramaic or Hebrew, though many were proficient in Greek and others in Latin. And, of course, the entire Old Testament (often quoted by Jesus and the writers of the New Testament books) was written in Hebrew. That same Hebrew language, with modern-day words added, has been miraculously restored; spoken by Israelis and also by rabbis the world over.

Because it would take a mind of understanding to decipher the identity of the Antichrist beast, I’m convinced that, at first, only a few of the 1st century Christian Jews realized that six hundred and sixty-six was a Hebrew Gematria reference to the name of the man. They then passed on this insight to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ less likely to use gematria to ascertain the meaning of the number of the beast; or Gentiles Christians who would have no understanding of Hebrew Gematria.

(22 Letters in Hebrew Alphabet. There Are Five More Hebrew Symbols Representing Numbers 500, 600, 700, 800, and 900, When Necessary For Mathematical Functions)

Eventually, identifying the beast by combining all of the Biblical passages about this wicked man led to four centuries of a phenomenon known as the Nero Redivivus Legend. (Please see Eye of Prophecy article, The Legendary Return of Nero, posted 4-4-15). Even many unbelievers in the Roman Empire were persuaded that Nero would soon return to reclaim his throne.

Here is an excerpt from Out of the Abyss, Chapter 18, pages 167-168 (in italics):

I’m convinced the early Christians knew why the identity of the man of lawlessness was encoded in Hebrew gematria. To simply divulge the man’s name would have been a death sentence for thousands more Christians who had survived persecution and death that had already begun (under Nero, who had died not long before Revelation was written) before John wrote Revelation … The current emperor would have jumped at the opportunity to kill more Christians just because they claimed a former emperor was a “beast,” instead of a god and all of the repercussions that go with that seditious disdain for the perceived divinity of a Roman emperor.

…Besides, John told them that the beast would “come up out of the bottomless pit.” They immediately knew that this would be the return of the beast that, “was once alive but isn’t now.” (Parenthesis added in today’s article).

The final portion of Chapter 18 in Out of the Abyss begins under the heading: Let’s Count in Hebrew.

To better grasp the process of the early Christians’ decoded discovery of the beast’s identity and also to make it more intriguing, I explained what certainly could have happened (and logically did occur) after the book of Revelation was written and disseminated among believers. In the form of a little narrative, it is as follows (in italics):

Picture, if you will, a Messianic Jewish wife greeting her Messianic Jewish husband. After a hard day at work, the husband has just stepped through the threshold of their home in Philadelphia. That’s the city of Philadelphia of ancient Asia Minor, not Pennsylvania! You remember: the location of one of the seven churches of Revelation Chapters 2 and 3.

She hands him a newly transcribed scroll of Revelation, which is being passed from Christian house to house in Philadelphia. “Honey … Quick, let’s eat, put the kids to bed, and read this incredible letter that John wrote.” Throughout the evening, they take turns reading aloud to each other; the entire time they are shaking their heads in amazement.

“So incredible,” the wife exclaims. “Let’s pray, go to bed, and talk about it tomorrow.”

“You go to bed, if you like,” he replies. “I’m going to solve the name of this beast.”

“Not without me, you’re not,” she scolds with a playful grin.

They put everything together. This is how they did it:

One by one they wrote down the Greek equivalent to the names of the five dead or fallen Roman emperors. With each name they used the Greek suffix, “Kaiser;” you really could not separate the Emperor’s name from his title (Caesar). All of the emperors were addressed this way—Augustus Caesar….

The book of Revelation had been written in Greek, so they understood they needed to use the Greek spelling of the Latin names of the emperors. But they also knew that the only way to understand the meaning of the number was to transpose the Greek spelling to the Hebrew alphabet, as that is the only way Jews were able to accurately calculate the number. In fact, that is the way they counted.

And so they did. To their utter astonishment, six hundred, sixty-six was an exact match to one (and only one) of the fallen emperors. Wide-eyed, he looked at her in stunned silence. She stared at him with mouth opened. They peered again at the transliteration from Greek into the Hebrew alphabet.

(Note: Hebrew is read from right to left, thus you can match up the sound of the Hebrew letters by spelling/pronouncing them (right to left) in English to Neron Kaiser—which is read and written from left to right. Try it!)

The Title of Messiah & Its Numerical Value

Since all Hebrew words, phrases, and names bear a number (total value of all letters), it’s obvious that the appellation (title) of Messiah also would have an equivalent numerical value.

As follows but going from left to right to make it easier:

Mem = 40; Shin = 300; Yod = 10; Chet = 8. Combined total is 358.

Messiah in Hebrew is: Mashiach. (Once again sound out the letters. Hint: the “Y” in “Yod” is a consonant vowel, pronounced more like a short “a” … ah)

As found in Out of the Abyss Chapter 7 and also a few Eye of Prophecy articles as fitting the topic, certain numbers in Scripture have substantial meaning in God’s sovereign plan for and interaction with his creation, especially mankind. Such as: three, four, seven, twelve, forty, seventy, and four hundred. (For example, please see article, Countdown to Armageddon … End of the Fourth 400-Year Era, published 7-29-17).

Likewise, the gematria value of many Hebrew words and phrases are a vital component of Judaism and Jewish life. One of those significant numbers is 18, which is the sum value of the Hebrew word, Chai or life. Consequently, monetary gifts among Jews are often given in the factor of eighteen.

(Common Hebrew Phrases With the Word Chai–life or lives)

In breaking down the composite number for Messiah (358), we find the following:

Three: The number of the Trinity … Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Five: The number representing God’s Grace.

Eight: The number signifying what is new as in New Beginning.

Messiah Jesus is the Son of God and God the Son, the second Person of the Triune God. The majestic Three in One. God’s grace was lavishly poured out to both Jew and Gentile through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Messiah Jesus to save us from our sins. When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we are a new creation in Christ; we have a new beginning with all our sins forgiven and the penalty for those sins pardoned. During the Rapture, the dead in Christ will be given a brand new body via resurrection, and then the transfiguration of living believers follows quickly (I Thessalonians 4 & I Corinthians 15).

However, there’s no need for Scripture to specifically identify the numerical equivalent (gematria) of anyone or anything, as the Bible itself provides all the needed content that enables us to comprehend God’s plan for the human race. Yet, if we’re truly interested in knowing the Lord and his Word, we will better see the literal and figurative value that God places on certain numbers (identified earlier). In addition to those stated numbers, the numerical values revealed through Hebrew gematria is one of those peripheral—yet still significant—tools for those who want to understand the Bible that much more.

As alluded to earlier: there is one exception. Which is the encoded number of the Antichrist beast given to us as one of the pieces of the prophetic puzzle to decode and declassify what most think must remain a mystery until after the Rapture—the identity of the Antichrist. The text is clear: Revelation 13:18 unequivocally declares that the number six-hundred and sixty-six is the number of “a man.” Not man’s number in general which many believe to be six (created on the sixth day). Rather, it is the number of “a” man—who obviously is the Antichrist Beast.

And it’s through Hebrew gematria that we can match up six hundred and sixty-six with Nero Caesar. Then by disciplined study and a good dose of God-given wisdom and understanding, to confirm that disclosure with all of the other passages on the Antichrist found in Scripture.

Conversely, there is no question that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah … The Anointed One, which is what Messiah means. Anyone with any degree of objectivity, but also an open mind and sincere heart passionately wanting to know the truth of who Jesus is, will see that … even the most orthodox of Jewish rabbis. Jesus literally fulfilled dozens of Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah, including the following prediction that indisputably shows Messiah must arrive BEFORE the second temple was destroyed (in 70 AD).

“After this period of sixty-two sets of seven, the Anointed One (Mashiach) will be killed, appearing to have accomplished nothing, and a ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the Temple…” (Daniel 9:26, parenthesis mine).

Jesus’s birth was so supremely significant that it changed time from before Christ (BC) to after Christ (AD). Only 33-34 years after Jesus was killed by crucifixion, Nero personally ordered his Generals Vespasian and Titus and their legions to march on Jerusalem in 66 A.D. It was Nero’s armies that destroyed the city and the temple.

(Many More Jews–Men, Woman, & Children–Were Killed Than Taken Captive)

While we’re on the subject of numbers in Scripture—the kind given by the Lord in the form of an astonishingly specific time-dedicated prophecy—let’s read part of the passage just prior to Daniel 9:26. The archangel Gabriel is speaking to Daniel:

“Now listen and understand! Seven sets of seven plus sixty-two sets of seven (483 years total) will pass from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until a ruler—the Anointed One—comes…” (Daniel 9:25, parenthesis mine).

Time/space in today’s article doesn’t allow a detailed explanation of this phenomenal prophecy. Please see Eye of Prophecy article, An Incredible Time Lapse Prophecy (posted 1-18-14)) for elaboration (also found in a few subsequent articles). Here is an excerpt from that post:

Sir Robert Anderson calculated (with partial assistance from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich) the Julian date of King Artaxerxes edict to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem to have been March 14th, 445 BC. Furthermore, the Julian date for Jesus’s magnificent ride into Jerusalem was April 6th, 32 AD. By employing the Hebrew calendar, Sir Robert Anderson tallied 173,880 days had elapsed which is exactly 483 Jewish years!! Absolutely astounding! I repeat for emphasis: Incredible!!

Another astonishing prophecy (Leviticus 26) that the Lord graciously gave me understanding of was the exact amount of time specified by what I term Seven Times Over (uninterrupted succession of years) ending the Gentile domination of the Jews and Israel in 1967—the Six Day War. Please see Eye of Prophecy article, The Omega Generation, posted 2-15-14, which was an epilogue to three preceding articles, Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power I, II, III) published 1-25, 2-1, and 2-8-14.

In summary: the Bible contains three categories of numbers to express God’s plan and fulfillment of prophecy. They are:

(1) Certain numbers to represent significant models and methods of God’s interaction with both Jews and Gentiles. Such as: Three, Four, Seven, Twelve, Forty, and others.

(3) Hebrew Gematria that connect and correlate Biblical words, phrases, and names to the importance of certain numbers as indicated in Category 1. With, however, the recognition that (except for the encoded gematria number of the Antichrist beast) Scripture does not actually state or specify the numerical equivalent or values. That is a “bonus” for those who are willing to learn more about the dynamics of the Hebrew alphabet and how letters and words impart deeper meaning to numbers and vice versa.

Regarding Messiah’s number of 358, we find this in a few Old Testament passages. Such as one we just looked at.

In both Daniel 9:25 & Daniel 9:26, we find the title of “Anointed One” translated Messiah in many Bible translations. Mashiach (Hebrew for Messiah) equals 358.

We also find the numerical value of 358 in the italicized phrase of the following passage: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes…” (Genesis 49:10, NASB, “Yibo Shiloh” in Hebrew).

Bible scholars and teachers (including me) recognize this as a reference to the coming Messiah.

There are a few other passages where the name or phrase equals 358, with either a direct reference to Messiah or a type or symbol of Messiah. Such as Deuteronomy 34:9 and Isaiah 44:24.

Ironically (but not to God), the term snake or serpent adds up to 358. You might be thinking, what’s that all about? Read with me the analogy Jesus used shortly after he told Nicodemus: “you must be born again” in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

“And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

In this context of salvation, Jesus was emphasizing the lifting up part … meaning his death on the cross. Which is the only remedy for sin and death and final conquest over the original serpent, the Devil … Satan.

Here’s the Old Testament scene referred to by Jesus in which God had to discipline his people for yet another rebellion against him:

“So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.’ So Moses prayed for the people.

“Then the Lord told him, ‘Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!’ So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!” (Numbers 21:6-9).

Everyone has been bitten by sin and (without God’s remedy) will die an eternal death because of that deadly bite. Among other literal and symbolic lessons of this “snake” incident graphically portrayed by the Lord to describe his death on a pole (the cross), is the life-giving truth that all a person need do is believe in the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Messiah Jesus … John 14:6) for forgiveness of sin and once-for-all redemption that leads to eternal life instead of death. It wasn’t just looking at the snake that saved those who had been bitten. It was their trust in God to do what he said he would do if they simply looked at the bronze serpent. If they looked with complete faith in God, then he would save them.

To look is to see and to see is to believe. This is also true in reverse. To believe is to look and to look is to see. “I once was lost but now am found; was blind, but now I see.” (Words from song, Amazing Grace).

A Captivating Correlation between the Number of Messiah and an Event Some 358 Years Ago

The following occurred to me: If we convert the numerical value of Messiah to years and look back some 358 years, would we find something or someone of some historical note. I’m placing this in the representative comparative (not actual) context of the soon return of Messiah and the corresponding years associated with Jesus’s amazing statement that all of the end-times signs would occur within a span of one generation (see Matthew 24:34). As indicated, I have written about this in several Eye of Prophecy articles, with reference to the monumental milestones of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the UN Resolution of 1947 (followed in seven months by Israel becoming a State in 1948), and the Six-Day War of 1967 in which the Holy City of Jerusalem was reunited with the Holy Land of Israel.

All leading to a time-frame (converting Roman calendar years to Jewish years and months) of the Rapture possibly taking place before the year 2020. With, however, heavy emphasis on the fact that Jesus said that no one knows the day or hour (Matthew 24 & 25). However, he also said we should recognize the signs of the last days, with one of the most important of those actually transpiring in our generation, compliments of evangelism via the media … radio, television and the internet:

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).

With the conviction that the Day of the Lord is so very near, I’m simply using the present time (this year … 2017) as a benchmark reference point to see where the number of Messiah (in years) retroactively takes us. If I hadn’t found what was found, neither this week’s article nor any Eye of Prophecy article would have been written on this subject (Messiah’s number).

A Rabbi Named Sabbatai Zevi

During his lifetime (1626 to 1676) this mystic Jewish rabbi claimed to be the long-awaited Messiah. Unlike a few others who have made such a claim down through the ages, this man had a huge European following of both Jews and Gentiles. So much so that a legacy was named after him—the Sabbatean movement. More so than anyone before him since the Jewish Zealot Bar Kokhba led the last revolt against Rome in 130-135 A.D. Many hailed Kokhba as the Messiah. Except, of course, Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians who knew beyond all doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was (still is and always will be) Messiah—if for no other reason than his resurrection from the dead.

Interestingly enough, Zevi was born in the city of Smyrna, which at that time was part of the Ottoman Empire. This is the same Smyrna named as one of the seven churches in Revelation Chapters 2 & 3. Among other things that Jesus said of the church in Smyrna:

“…I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan” (Revelation 2:9).

In the first century, there were two main antagonistic forces against the Christian Jews and Gentiles in Smyrna. One was the Jewish population openly opposing Christianity. The other was the Gentile population aggressively aligned with Rome; Gentiles who lived there were loyal worshippers of the Roman emperors.

There was still a thriving Jewish community in Smyrna in the 17th century, and there were two major events during the mid-part of that century.

First Event: A resurgence of Messianic fervor greater than any since the time of Christ Jesus. For Gentile Christians and their Messianic Jewish brothers in Christ, it was the return of Messiah. For non-Messianic Jews (as is still the case today) it was the first appearance of Messiah. In fact some of those Jews actually identified the year 1648 (then later 1666) as the year of their final redemption by their long-awaited Jewish Messiah.

Time/space doesn’t permit more information on this obviously false messiah, who later converted to Islam to avoid persecution and possible death at the hands of the Sultan of Turkey! In stark contrast to the true Messiah Jesus, who as the Son of God willingly came to this earth as a man (Virgin Birth) and freely laid down his life for our ugly sins and the penalty of those transgressions, eternal separation from God. As well as all of Jesus’s disciples (except John) who were killed for preaching the Good News, and millions of Christians down through the ages (more in the 20th and 21st centuries than ever before) who have given the supreme sacrifice of their lives to testify that only Messiah Jesus can save us.

(Portrait of Sabbatai Zevi, Next to a Crown)

Here is an excerpt from the Jewish History website article:

What happened next is indescribable. We know it from diplomatic records, from ambassadors of countries who sent records to their government describing what happened throughout the Jewish world. Sabbatai Zevi was not just a Jewish phenomenon, but an international one. His arrival affected the economy and politics of all Europe.

Wild rumors regarding the advent of the Messiah circulated all over the civilized world. Jews is Greece, Italy, Syria, Egypt and Turkey, began to sell out their properties in anticipation of moving to the Holy Land.

The Jewish communities of Amsterdam, Hamburg, Altona, Frankfurt and Main were all taken over by supporters of Sabbatai Zevi. The chief opponent of Sabbatai Zevi was a rabbi in Amsterdam by the name of Jacob Sasportas. He sent letters to the rabbis of Europe to oppose Sabbatai Zevi. Shockingly, hundreds of rabbis refused to do so. Many of them said in effect that even if Sabbatai Zevi was not the Messiah he was good for the Jews because a lot of assimilated Jews were now more religious or at least more aware and proud of their Jewish identities…

By the end of 1665, the messianic fervor had moved from the Mediterranean basin to Western and Eastern Europe. In short, Sabbatai Zevi hysteria swept throughout Europe, especially Eastern Europe which was still reeling from the Tach V’tat massacres. The Jews were looking for something. Here was the solution; here was the Messiah.

This last paragraph leads us directly to the:

Second Event: Quoting from the first paragraph of an article with the heading of Tach V’tat, also posted in the online source of Jewish History:

“The years 1648 and 1649 represent a watershed in Jewish history. In Jewish tradition they are referred to as Tach V’tat (which are the Hebrew letters representing the numbers 408 and 409, which correspond to the years of 1648 and 1649 on the non-Jewish calendar). One can even say that Tach V’tat marks the beginning of modern Jewish history. It is certainly the harbinger of enormous changes in and enormous destruction of the Jewish world.”

The author of that column was referring to and did mention the mass slaughter of an estimated 300,000 Jews (30% of the Jewish European population) by Russian Cossacks, Tartars, and mostly by Polish peasants during these two years, but continuing through 1653. Proportionally, the number of Jews killed during this relatively short 5-6 year period of time exceeded the Crusades or the Inquisition before, both of which took place over a long period of time. It was the largest mass murder of Jews until the Holocaust, which also took place over a 5-6 year period of time.

(I Hesitated To Post This Holocaust Mass Grave Picture, one of many photos and videos taken of the Holocaust. But We Must Never Forget. The Tach V’tat massacre of the Jews was done one at a time by hand, compared to the machine gun and gas chambers of the Holocaust)

As the author of the Jewish History article concluded: it was the harbinger of enormous changes in and destruction of the Jewish world to come.

The Starling Correlation

The Holocaust of the Second World War was a direct (prophetic) catalyst of the rebirth of the State of Israel, which is one of the three epic achievements of the 20th century that signal specific time frames of the Day of the Lord (in a generational period that the Bible defines as both 100 years and 70 years).

Sabbatai Zevi was a false messiah, who deceived many by special (questionable) paranormal abilities and pious living. He would be a pre-cursor to the next infamous and last anti-Messiah who will reappear shortly after the Rapture. Followed seven years later by the true Messiah’s return.

Let’s do the math:

Starting with this year (2017), and then transposing Messiah’s number of 358 to years, we’ll go backward in history. Once again, however, we need to convert Roman calendar years to Jewish calendar years. Those calculations give us 363 Jewish years. Subtracting 363 from 2017, we end up in the year 1654.

That was the year that immediately followed the end of the worst mass murder of Jews (1648-1653) until the Holocaust; with the Holocaust immediately preceding the rebirth of Israel in 1948. Which, in turn, was the epic beginning of the 70-year generation (within the 100-year generation of the Balfour Declaration of 1917) that would usher in the Day of the Lord.

Also it was the last prominent anti-Messiah to deceive both Jews and Gentiles alike, until (the) Antichrist (Nero) will return from the Abyss. Only to be totally vanquished by the true Messiah.

Things to Ponder

Certainly, there is some speculation on my part even to match the number of Messiah to years. As indicated in some prior Eye of Prophecy articles: Unlike a great many—even well-meaning Bible scholars—who focus on Biblical prophecy, I seldom do any speculating at all. Rather, I rely on the comparison of Scripture to Scripture and then correlation to historical events. If you have read just a few Eye of Prophecy articles, I’m convinced you will see that.

In that regard, I would classify the 358 paradigm as a secondary (probable but not absolutely certain) prophetic development or sign. One that is more hidden and harder to discern than the obvious Biblical prophecies of Messiah’s first and second advents and Israel’s final redemption and restoration as covered extensively in Eye of Prophecy articles, including current events that pertain to these prophetic developments.

Nevertheless, the fact that 358 years ago, give or take a few years, finds us at the very time of what was the most prominent false messiah up to that point—including the worst massacre of Jews until the Holocaust—is, I think, quite relevant … even remarkable.

Messiah Jesus’s return is so very near. This is the ardent anticipation and strong belief of most evangelical Bible scholars and teachers and millions upon millions of Christians. Although there are many articles on several subjects, one of the main purposes of Eye of Prophecy website is to provide Biblical and historical documentation to support that powerful premise.

The 358 template that connects a false messiah (a pre-cursor of the ultimate Antichrist—Nero) to the true Messiah is one more piece of the prophetic puzzle. Albeit the fitting of this piece requires a magnifying lens that includes looking at Hebrew gematria coupled with a strong working knowledge of Biblical prophecy and secular history.

In that context, it’s pretty amazing what was happening 358 years ago! Was that mere coincidence? Or could there be a prophetic correlation and time-lapse application to the imminent return of Christ in today’s world?

“But it was to us that God revealed things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets … And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us” (I Corinthians 2:10 & 12, parenthesis in the text).

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

“…If you are a teacher, teach well” (Romans 12:7).

By the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Eye of Prophecy articles will teach well, as we are:

Recently, Natan Sharansky, Chairman for The Jewish Agency met and welcomed nearly thirty families including seventy-five children at Ben Gurion International Airport between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Although the event was exciting, it was not all that unusual; as hundreds of thousands of Jews all over the world have made Israel their home over the last seven decades or so, through what the Jews call, Aliyah … the “going-up” ingathering of their people.

What made this group of immigrants exceptional is that they all had left their homes in North America to take up residence in Israel; the Promised Land given to them by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To be sure, thousands of Jews have immigrated from Canada and the United States to Israel. Yet, considering that people from all over the world would do just about anything to move to the United States (and Canada), it is quite remarkable that even a handful of people would want to do just the opposite … move from the prosperity and security of America and Canada to the uncertainty and turmoil faced by this tiny democratic Israeli nation surrounded by enemies who seek their destruction.

Said Natan Sharansky to the new arrivals: “Only think for a moment about your fathers, your grandfathers, your great grandfathers, all those generations of your families who were dreaming and praying next year in Jerusalem and you did it.”

*Note: Next Year in Jerusalem is a saying repeated by Jewish families for hundreds of years to this very day, especially during the Passover celebration.

One of the elated immigrants was Max Kresch, age 19, from Detroit; one of several who moved to Israel for the express purpose of serving as a “lone soldier” in the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Previously, he had been granted a visa to attend a yeshiva (Torah seminary) in Israel. This time he came to stay and to serve proudly with one of the greatest militaries in the entire world … in a nation with only slightly over six million Jews. He told CBN News, “…living in Israel made me realize how much I really loved being there.”

The families included David and Lisa Parshan and their two younger children. Said Lisa Parshan, “It was very nice to watch people just like us coming off … all jet lagged but with a smile on their face. It was really a very exciting experience.” The Parshan family had made Aliyah to Israel primarily because their oldest daughter, Shira, had paved the way by moving to Israel two years earlier!

As I have said in one way or another in two books and in past Eye of Prophecy articles, and as other students of prophecy have articulated in similar fashion, “Watching Jews return to Israel in such great numbers is watching Biblical prophecy unfold before our very eyes.” As significant as Aliyah is (I would place it alongside of Israel’s rebirth in 1948 as the two greatest signs of the end times), it is only one of twelve modern-day milestones of our generation that tells us we are so very close to Messiah’s return. If you haven’t already, please read two recently posted Eye of Prophecy articles, entitled, Look Up, Redemption is Near, Part I & II, published 7-11 & 7-18-15.

Referenced earlier in today’s article was The Jewish Agency, which actually came into existence during the 1929 Palestinian Mandate, conceived in 1917 as part of the Balfour Declaration … subsequently recognized by the now defunct League of Nations. But it wasn’t until Israel’s rebirth in 1948 that The Jewish Agency began its remarkable journey which led to what is now the largest nonprofit Jewish organization in the world. This agency has brought over three million Jews to Israel, providing relocation assistance throughout the land.

Their stated mission is to: Inspire Jews throughout the world to connect with their people, heritage, and land, and empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and a strong Israel.

Why the Jews Returned to Israel in the Early Years

Soon after the 1948 rebirth of Israel as (once again) a sovereign nation, most of the Jews who moved to Israel were from European countries and cities ravaged by World War II. Six million Jews had been slaughtered by the Nazi Third Reich. Many of the surviving three million Jews had been stripped of their property, their jobs, their businesses, and their homes. They had hardly anywhere to turn, except Israel. And turn they did.

In even greater numbers they later left Russia, where they were still under persecution by the Communist regime and by people who simply didn’t like (many hated) Jews. To this very day, most European, Russian, or South American Jews making Aliyah to Israel do so to get away from a menacing modern-day rise of anti-Semitism. For example, many Jews from France have recently moved to Israel, in direct response to the alarming increase in France’s Islamic population and Muslim terrorist’s acts.

From wherever they came, the underlying motivation behind their (leave it all behind) bold move to Israel was that of pressure … to escape the horrors of anti-Semitism. To live in and do their part to help restore Israel as their homeland; a place where they could confidently trust what they were telling themselves and their children: Never again. This must never happen again.

Thus, began fulfillment of spectacular prophecies announced by many Old Testament prophets even before the first captivity of the Jews in Babylon, let alone the subsequent complete and seemingly never-ending exile at the hands of the Romans in 70 AD. It was unthinkable that after nearly 2000 years, a people no longer a people, a nation no longer a nation, a language no longer a language could possibly and virtually overnight be restored as a people, reborn as a nation, and revived as a language. It was unprecedented, but it happened, nevertheless! The following passage is one of hundreds that virtually no one, not even the most observant Jews, really believed would ever take place.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west. I will say to the north and south, ‘Bring my sons and daughters back to Israel from the distant corners of the earth” (Isaiah 43:5-6).

Then the Lord through Isaiah prophesied to the Gentile nations: “Gather the nations together! Assemble the peoples of the world! Which of their idols has ever foretold such things? Which can predict what will happen tomorrow? Where are the witnesses of such predictions? Who can verify that they spoke the truth?” (Verse 9).

*Note: The formation of the United Nations is a direct result of “gathering the nations together;” of “assembling the peoples of the world.” But as the Lord also said: none of the idols or so-called gods, or psychics, or fortune-tellers, or sorcerers, or pretend prophets of these nations could possibly predict such a phenomenal event as the rebirth of Israel and return of Jewish exiles from all over the earth.

It was absolutely no coincidence that the United Nations was established in October, 1945, just 2 ½ years before Israel’s proclamation of Statehood in May, 1948. Furthermore, it was the United Nations which passed the November, 1947 resolution granting Israel the right to become a member of the family nations of the earth, of which there were fifty-one when the UN was formed. Now there are 193 nations.

More Contemporary Reason for Jews Returning to Israel

Returning briefly to the previously mentioned Parshan family and their oldest daughter whose example her parents followed by moving to Israel.

Here is what Shira Parshan told CBN News: “You know Mashiach is coming. I know that Israel is the place to be and I made Aliyah when I was 17 years old.”

Astonishing! Not only to leave her family and move to Israel at the age of seventeen; but to boldly and unashamed tell reporters that her burning passion to be in Israel was fueled by her desire to be there when Messiah comes. With the all too clear inference that she was expressing the shared enthusiasm of hundreds of thousands of Jews, both Sabras (native-born Israelis) and immigrants: Messiah’s appearance is so very near!

Although there are subsidiary reasons why the substantial return of Jews to Israel continues to amaze me and others who are genuinely interested in contemporary parallels between what is happening in and to Israel and fulfillment of last day’s prophecies, the appearance of Messiah is undoubtedly the most compelling correlation. With no better representation or convincing testimony than that expressed by Shira Parshan.

The Jewish Agency is, by far, the largest organization that facilitates the transition of Jews to Israel, but not the only one. Another agency, Nefesh B’Nefesh is one that works closely with the Israeli government and specifically with the American, Canadian, and British governments to bring Jews to Israel. Since its inception in 2002, this organization has been responsible for bringing some 45,000 Jewish immigrants from these three countries to Israel. In fact, this is the agency that coordinated the Aliyah of the group mentioned in this article.

Said Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, cofounder of Nefesh B’Nefesh to the group and to reporters: “We don’t want the immigration from America to be an Aliyah of necessity, of running away from something, of distress, duress, persecution. You don’t want that. The beauty of North American immigration is that people are choosing to come.”

This statement is a precise, poignant, and powerful explanation of another, even more pressing, motive for Jews (especially those who have left a comfortable lifestyle) to move to Israel: Because they want to. And, as indicated, one of the overwhelming reasons that they want to is because—no matter whether they are religious or secular—they passionately believe that Messiah will soon appear and MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT!

They know he will arrive (Messianic Jews agree with Christians, it will be Messiah’s return or second appearance) in Jerusalem. They want to be in Israel when that happens!

More Amazing Correlations and Discoveries to Indicate Messiah’s Imminent Arrival

Just two weeks ago, the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, Great Expectations for Messiah was published. In general it was a sequel to the two-part series of Look Up, Redemption is Near. More specifically, it was written to demonstrate that the very same level of high expectations for Messiah’s appearance expressed by Jews in the first century BC is taking place in our generation, particularly in the past decade or so. The Great Expectation article began with:

“What does Aliyah, the blood moon tetrad, the Shemitah, hidden Bible codes, the third Jewish Temple, a red heifer, and Jonathan Pollard’s release from prison have in common, one with the other? If you desire a short easy-to-remember response to that question, then the answer is: Israel’s Redemption Is Very Near. If you prefer a one-word explanation for the common-ground connection between these seemingly diverse subjects and events, we can do that too: MESSIAH!”

I went on to explain each of these events in more detail; however, that article also made it clear that these occurrences individually—remarkable as they are—do not necessarily reflect specific Biblical prophecy as such … with the exception of Aliyah that is clearly predicted in Scripture. Rather, as indicated, the purpose for tying these subjects together was to show that many Jews today collectively correlate signs of Messiah’s coming to events that are happening with increasing frequency.

I also said in that post that many more things would undoubtedly be seen in the very near future as evidence that Messiah’s glorious appearance is right at the door. Accordingly, it was not my intention to write another article on these type of parallels for at least several weeks or months.

Yet, that’s what this article is mostly about. In light of what I’ve read and seen in just the past couple of weeks, I couldn’t resist sharing these stories, most of which come from the Internet site of Breaking Israel News, which is a companion offshoot of Israel 365. Certainly these are not the only websites that focus on current world events, most of which pertain directly to Israel, as seen in the light of Old Testament Biblical prophecy. (Israel 365 and BIN are not Messianic sites). However, these two internet sites place a great deal of emphasis on Israel’s ultimate redemption particularly in the light of how Messiah will bring about that final restoration.

So what else has transpired and what other observations have been made? Let’s take a look at three—no, let’s make that four—notable connections as proposed by some Jewish rabbis or Jewish prophecy enthusiasts. (Italics for emphasis because it’s an expression from Proverbs Chapter 30 used as a summary to last week’s post, Four Locust Kingdoms … which I’m bringing up only in case you haven’t read that article yet!)

Hebrew Gematria Pointing to Messiah in the Pending Jewish Year 5776:

To expand further on one of the seven indicators cited in the Great Expectations for Messiah article, I will quote directly from an August 20th, 2015 article written by Rivkah Lambert Adler in Breaking Israel News:

“In an interview with Christian filmmaker Richard Shaw, director of the film Torah Codes: End to Darkness, prolific author and Bible Codes expert Rabbi Mattiyahu Glazerson demonstrates how multiple Hebrew phrases hint that the Hebrew year 5776 (2015-2016) will be a significant year for the appearance of the Messiah. Hebrew years are counted from Creation and begin on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana, which always falls in September or October in the Gregorian calendar. As of sundown on September 13, 2015, the new Hebrew year will be 5776.”

Ms. Adler then explains that it’s necessary to at least partially understand the significance of numbers through the system of gematria; that each letter or word or phrase of the Hebrew language bears a numerical value. She goes on to say:

“In the video with Rabbi Glazerson, he translates eight Hebrew phrases and sentences which all have the numerical value of 776. The English translation of the eight Hebrew phrases that Glazerson mentions are:

“The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob = 776

The kingdom of David will be eternal = 776 (The Messiah will be a descent of King David.)

Come back to Me and I will come back to you = 776

God says, “I will do for Myself. For Myself I will do.” = 776

Come back to Me like naughty children = 776

Your kingdom will be forever = 776

The last kingdom = 776

The final one is the most fascinating. The coming of Messiah = 776.”

Ms. Adler concludes by saying: “When questioned by Shaw, Glazerson explains why the numerical value of all these phrases is 776 and not 5776, which is the full number of the upcoming Hebrew year. ‘Because you see, according to our (Jewish) tradition, Messiah will come in the millennium—in the sixth one. This is why the numbers don’t have the 5 here, because it’s self-understood that when you speak about Messiah, you relate to 5,000, the sixth millennia.’”

Before we continue with three more examples, it’s imperative we realize that these things are not specific Bible prophecies. However, I personally afford a great deal of significance to Hebrew gematria, if for no other reason than it is a vital tool in the decoding of the identity of Antichrist found in Revelation Chapter 13. As those know who have read my book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666, the challenge issued by the author of Revelation for believers to ascertain the identity of the beast can be accomplished through gematria … by figuring out his number, six hundred and sixty-six. Several other passages of Scripture also clearly point to Nero as this man (the Antichrist beast), but Revelation 13:18 does so by the use of gematria.

Quite likely then, the impact of Hebrew gematria can also be related to the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Shemitah Cycle as Related to the United States:

Once again we’ll refer to an article in Breaking Israel News by Rivkah Lambert Adler, posted on August 24th. Citing other Jewish rabbis and a previous article in BIN, Ms. Adler writes: “Taken together, four recent and upcoming events make a compelling case for imminent and dramatic messianic advancement. The four events are the end of the Shmittah year on September 13, the shaking of the world economies last week, numerical hints that abound in the Bible Codes, and the final Blood Moon of the current tetrad on September 28.”

[For those interested, two other meaningful things will happen in September: (1) Pope Francis address to the United States Congress (a first). (2) The US Congress vote on the Iran deal.]

She goes on to say, “…there is a well-established pattern of connection between the end of a Shmittah cycle and a downturn in the US economy. This has happened at or near the end of the last seven Shmittah cycles.” (Note: Ms. Adler and a handful of others spell this Hebrew word as Shmittah; however, this article will use the more common and accepted spelling of SHEMITAH, when not directly quoting her articles).

Continuing with the thematic purpose of this week’s article which is the extraordinary emphasis being placed by Jewish Rabbis and a good deal of the Jewish population on the imminent appearance of the Messiah, let’s continue with Ms. Adler’s article. She then quotes end-times author Rabbi Pinchas Winston who said:

“Why should the end of a Shmittah cycle affect the economies of the world? Even today, when the keeping of Shmittah is rabbinical in nature, it still transmits a Torah message, and that is that God runs the world and provides everything in Creation with its livelihood. The fact that billions of people do not believe this or think about it does not change the fact … It has occurred over the millennia with uncanny consistency, and one need look back only a few decades to see how true this is, and to know that bracing oneself for financial upheaval this September is a word to the wise and financially prudent.”

What was expected in September AFTER the shemitah has actually begun in this month of August, although there has been a very recent resurgence of the stock market just before today’s article was published.

Ms. Adler defers to whom she terms, End of Days blogger Tomer Devorah, who also used Hebrew gematria to provide a possible, perhaps plausible explanation to the recent Stock Market Crash. Quoting Ms. Adler’s article, she writes:

“…The Dow fell more than 1,000 points. Some say it’s just a normal market correction. End of Days blogger Tomer Devorah has a different way of understanding the numbers. In the system of gematria … the numerical value of the word Mashiach (Messiah) is 358. On Thursday, August 20, the US stock market fell 358 points. The next day, Friday, August 21, the US stock market fell another 530 points. Together, 530 and 358 equals 888.

“This is significant because the number 8 represents God, who is above nature. As Tomer Devorah writes, ‘The number 8 is also connected to the revelation of Mashiach (Messiah).’ She (Tomer) explains that the number 7 is associated with completeness in nature—the seven days of Creation, the seven days of the week, the seven colors of the rainbow, etc. The number 8 is above nature. The Messianic era is also represented by the number 8 because, during that time, our souls will transcend nature and will experience a higher level of understanding God.”

Once again a disclaimer for clarification: Although there is some accuracy in what they say, I am not categorically endorsing Ms. Adler’s or Ms. Devorah’s summary conclusion as to the correlation of these numbers to such things as, our souls transcending nature. Biblical numbers are extremely significant as is, to a lesser degree, Hebrew gematria; but both must be examined as an integral part of the entirety of Biblical prophecy. As reflected in the Eye of Prophecy articles, I prefer to rely heavily on Scripture itself, including what the Bible says will happen just before, during, and after Messiah’s appearance.

Actually this connection goes all the way back to a 2nd century Jewish Rabbi, Shimon Bar Yochai whose writings are part of the Midrash. While hiding in a cave, Rabbi Bar Yochai allegedly heard from an angel who told him: “And it is a sign for you, when you see that an Eastern Nero has fallen, that in Damascus has fallen the Bnei Mizrach kingdom, then will sprout the salvation of Israel, and Mashiach ben David comes and will ascend to Jerusalem.”

It was the aforementioned blogger, Tomer Devorah who thinks that this end-times Nero of the East is or could be Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad; that his shaky hold of the Syrian government could collapse any day now.

Most likely, Rabbi Bar Yochai made the connection that the destruction of Damascus is one of the end-times prophecies that will dovetail with Messiah’s arrival. This one is directly from Isaiah. “This message came to me concerning Damascus: Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins” (Isaiah 17:1).

There are three applications that can be made to any given prophecy. (1) The prophecy has already been fulfilled in Biblical times; (2) the prophecy will come to pass during the last days; (3) the prophecy was fulfilled then and will be fulfilled again during the end-times. Regarding Isaiah’s prediction, I believe it was fulfilled when Assyria conquered Damascus in 732 BC; because a few verses later Isaiah also said: “The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory, declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Verse 3).

Just ten years later, Assyria conquered the ten northern tribes know as Israel … Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory.

The glory of Israel began to be restored in 1948 and is in high gear in the 21st century. It’s a much better fit to conclude that the destruction of Damascus predicted by Isaiah occurred when the northern kingdom of Israel was also destroyed within a span of ten years.

The word “disappear” used in the New Living Translation is translated, “removed from being a city,” in the NASB. These and other translations essentially mean that Damascus would no longer function as a viable city, let alone the capital of Syria.

However, it’s certainly possible that Syria and Damascus will once again be vanquished. As will many nations and cities during the Great Tribulation. If so, we don’t know if the ruin of Damascus will occur before the Rapture or after the Rapture. Moreover, it would only be one of dozens of other end-times prophecies that will take place during the soon-to-come Day of the Lord.

What does grab my attention is this second century Rabbi’s reference to the Eastern Nero which can also read, Nero of the East. Why would he even mention Nero or equate the proposed end-times Syrian ruler with this malevolent Roman Emperor? Those of you who have read my book, Out of the Abyss and/or several Eye of Prophecy articles on the Antichrist, know that a ton of Biblical and historical evidence leads to (what I think is overwhelming evidence) the conclusion that the Antichrist is none other than the return of the Roman Emperor Nero. Furthermore, that Nero’s revival was a widely held belief by secular Romans, by early Christians, and I’m sure by many Jews during the first four centuries or so. It was even given a name: Nero Redivivus Legend.

(Read all about this in the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, The Legendary Return of Nero, published 4-4-15. It was a sequel summary to the series of articles named, “A Beast by Any Other Name … Part I, II, III, published 3-14, 3-21, & 3-28-15).

Thus, it’s evident that Rabbi Bar Yochai combined the Old Testament prophecy of the fall of Damascus with the end-times appearance of Messiah, then connected both of those events to the Syrian monarch who would be a representation or counterpart of the wicked ruler Nero.

Little did he know that there would be no counterparts of or to Nero? Rather, it will be Nero himself who will appear from the Abyss and boast that he is the risen Messiah and the only God to be worshipped.

Interesting! No? Yes?

Israeli Mystical Rabbi Warns of Imminent Attack on Israel:

This fourth and final example of the extraordinary emphasis and enthusiasm over current events as precursor evidence of Messiah’s soon appearance is ominous, to say the least.

Recently, Rabbi Amram Vaknin, who allegedly receives periodic revelations from heaven—sometimes from the prophet Elijah—announced that: “The Muslims are going to contaminate the water, the fruits and vegetables. They are going to damage the electricity. And there are going to be people dying in the streets, thousands of people all over Israel.”

He specified further than this attack was being planned by current Arab Knesset Member, Hanin Zoabi (who is a known adversary of Israel even though she is member of the Knesset) as a spy for ISIS and Hamas. According to Rabbi Vaknin, God will permit this atrocious attack unless Israel does teshuva … which means to repent. Gil Nachman, a student of Rabbi Vaknin, said that this repentance must be for individual inner sins and dishonoring of parents, of not always telling the truth (lying), and about not being your real self (hypocrisy).

Comment: I’m certainly not endorsing or agreeing with this Rabbi’s predictions for several reasons … too many to list and elaborate on in this article. Nor is there time/space to challenge what Israelis individually and Israel nationally should repent of. Except to say that under the New Covenant, the fundamental repentance (change of mind) necessary is to allow God to change one’s heart (Jew and Gentile alike) through the awesome redemption purchased for us by Messiah Jesus. Essentially, it is to repent of unbelief in the final atoning sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross. Simply put, it’s saying, “Yes,” to God by believing and receiving God’s gracious gift of his Son.

Repentance from what is an incredibly important question. Whether Messiah’s appearance (return) is predicated on Israel’s teshuva is a monumentally significant issue and dilemma to the Jewish people, especially the Orthodox among them. The answer is found in the difference between the Old Covenant through Moses and the New Covenant through Messiah Jesus. It’s also found in the prophecies of Old Testament prophets, the words of Jesus while on the Mount of Olives, the book of Revelation, and the Apostle Paul writings on the Rapture and the Antichrist.

The primary purpose for including this questionable yet startling and gloomy prediction is in keeping with the main theme of this article. Which is the amazing frequency of rabbinical predictions of and correlation with what is happening in the Middle East, especially Israel, to the passionate and persistent anticipation for Messiah. It is nothing short of incredible. Though many of these associations may not be accurate, the sheer number of them create a modern-day sensation that is unrivaled since the time of Christ … his first coming to the earth.

Things to Ponder

The whole world is watching, wondering, and wavering whether the apocalyptic beginning of the end has begun. Who is Messiah? When and where will he arrive? What exactly will he do? Except for the exact time of Messiah’s glorious appearance, many passages in the Bible have answered these questions.

Listen to the word of the Lord through the Prophet Micah:

“Yes, says the Lord, I will do mighty miracles for you, like those I did when I rescued you from slavery in Egypt. All the nations of the world will stand amazed at what the Lord will do for you. They will be embarrassed at their feeble power. They will cover their mouths in silent awe … they will fear him greatly, trembling in terror at his presence. Where is there another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago” (Micah 7:15-20).

Based on Scripture and unfolding events in today’s world, I can say with utmost confidence: God’s discipline of Israel through Gentile nations ended in 1967. His compassion for his special possession Israel has returned in active form. He will forgive their sins and pardon the guilt of the remnant. That remnant began in 1948 at the magnificent rebirth of Israel as a nation, of the Jews as a people. It will be refined even more … down to those who will gladly recognize and receive Messiah Yeshua as their God and Savior.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!

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